Truce at last at Salatiga university

Truce at last at Salatiga university

JAKARTA (JP): The protracted conflict at the Satyawacana Christian University in Salatiga, Central Java, has come to an end with the various parties signing a truce on Nov. 20.

Tony Waworuntu, head of the forum of churches that backs the university, told reporters yesterday that the violence-marred conflict, which had dragged on for nearly three years, ended with the signing of the peace pact in Salatiga.

Under the agreement, the various parties are to promote the spirit of love and forgiveness for the sake of the university and to renew their commitment to carrying out the church's mission in education, Tony was quoted by Antara as saying.

The three parties involved in the agreement were representatives of the foundation that owned the university, the college administrators, and a group of staff lecturers and students who called itself the "pro-democracy" group.

Tony said the pact was the result of the hard work of a six- person team -- Reverend Widjojo Hadipranoto BD, Maj. Gen. (ret.) Sarwono, Rev. Benny Fobia, A. Pongtuluran, Rev. I Ketut Suyaga Ayub and Rev. I.P. Lambe.

He said that all the staff lecturers who were suspended during the conflict would be given their jobs back, with the exception of Arief Budiman.

He also confirmed that three staff lecturers at Satyawacana turned out to have been involved in the outlawed Indonesian Communist Party (PKI), as the military has alleged.

"After our investigation, we confirmed that they had served time as PKI's political detainees at Pulau Buru," he said, adding that if they were to continue teaching at the university, they would not be given strategic posts.

He declined to name the three lecturers.(emb)